Hidden Scars
by ImDiffrentSoWhat
Summary: As standing a one short. Have you ever thought the fact that Hermione got bullied was a bit brushed off? Or that Snape, being a victim of bullying himself, should of done more to protect her from them?


Hermione stood beside the statue with the witch with a hump. It was one of the few statues not alive and she did her best to keep her sobs down.

"What is this racket? Is someone strangling a cat? Oh, it is simply you, Miss Granger what are you doing crying your eyes out?" Professor Snape said seeming uninterested.

"Nothing you'd ever bother concerning yourself with!" Hermione said angrily wiping the tears from her eyes. Merlin! Just great! This is perfect. He will speak of this to the Slytherins and they will come at her with even more ammunition.

"Careful with that insolent tone." Snape said, he was actually shocked, she always spoke politely to her teachers. What could have turned her to this?

"Sod off! Like you know what it's like!" Hermione screamed losing her patience, it had been building, for her whole life. After so many years of it building up inside of her. Now that it is being released she couldn't stop it. It was like the rational her was watching it all happen through a window while the part of her that she's been pushing back for as long as she remembered pushed through. "Do you _Professor_? Do you know what it's like to be made fun of on a daily basis? To have people say that your hair looks like it hasn't been washed and how it looks like a bird's nest? To be called a beaver? To have people constantly make fun of you for your name, your blood status and for the fact that you are actually in school to learn? To know that no one-_no one_-cares or will do anything? That even those that you thought were your best friend won't ever bother with it? To be completely alone!"

"Never before have I been talked to in that tone." Snape said, surprised. Of every student he has ever had he never believed it would be Hermione Granger who lost her cool and snapped.

"Screw you! When you know what it's like to live a day in my shoes then criticize me. When you go home for the summer to see your parents and the daily beatings for ruining their lives and being a freak criticize me. When you know how it feels to know that your a mistake and that no one cares find all the flaws!"

Presently Hermione calmed down. She still wasn't in control of herself, the part of her that she has always fought back simply calmed the tone of her voice to a deadly ice.

"Why am I wasting my breath on you? Like you would care...Good day, Professor Snape." With that Hermione turned to leave, her words were polite but the way she said them clearly meant _Go die_.

"Miss Granger! What do you mean by daily beatings?"

"What does it sound like? Don't even bother acting like you would do anything, I know you won't. No one ever does." Hermione said simply leaving.

Severus Snape watched her leave and he had rarely felt so bad about anything. Why had he never realized it? She was made fun of just like he was, he always was annoyed by Hermione Granger. Granger was just like him. She went through the same thing, but by the sound of it she didn't have a mother who tried to protect her. She used her knowledge hopeful to prove her worth, to someone, she didn't care if the whole castle hated her as long as someone, anyone admired her. Thought she was worth the oxygen she breathed in and out. He had felt the same thing, only he was quiet about it, hopeful they'd see it and realize it on their own. She didn't have that faith in humanity. He had been through it, so why had Severus Snape not realized it?

With growing horror he realized that he was just like the professors who allowed the Marauders to torment him because they were popular. And how did he know that their wasn't physical bullying? Just because he's never heard it he probably wouldn't of cared. He could of heard of it but have forgotten.

Severus felt sick. He has become that which he hated. He has become what he wished to end. While he was at Hogwarts he had hated the teachers, despised them for three reasons: They were against him for the House he was in. They knew the Marauders bullied him but either did nothing about it or joined in. The third, and most important reason; they never realized he was being abused.

1-2-3. Severus Snape had done all of that.

He had docked points from her and singled her out for being a Gryffindor, had given Slytherins points for making fun of her. He had joined in on the bullying, when they had magically elongated her teeth he had said cruelly that he saw no difference, he knew how much that bugged her and had played on her obvious insecurity. He had been through abuse his entire childhood, he knew the signs and could repeat them half awake, yet he didn't realize it. From the way she talked it sounded as if both parents did it. Why had it taken her blowing up and having a mental breakdown for him to realize? Had there been others like her? Others he should have seen the signs but never bothered looking?

He had failed the very reason he became a teacher in the first place. He was a disgrace. He hadn't felt this bad about himself in years. Not since he took on the Death Mark. He had treated Hermione so poorly, just like the bullies, and her so called _friends_. But he had a obligation to her and all the other students here to protect them. For this to be a safe environment.

He could see it now, plainly, that though this was not a safe environment for her and others would see it as a prison, it was better than her home life. She put on a good show, but she was hurting. _Badly_

Severus Snape, for the first time in nearly seventeen years, cried.


End file.
